A further nine students received US$500 from New Zealand universities towards their study costs.

An example of a ‘Kiwi ambassador’ - US student Jake Voss shares his New Zealand adventures on the SiNZ Instagram.

To apply, students had to submit an essay explaining why they wanted to study in New Zealand and serve as ‘Kiwi ambassadors’ on social media.

ENZ’s Director of Education, North America, Amy Rutherford said this support is part of ENZ’s commitment to helping US students experience New Zealand universities.

"These programmes open up new opportunities for US students seeking to study in New Zealand.”

Launched in 2014 by the Institute of International Education, GSA is an initiative to double the number of American students who study abroad by the end of the decade.

ENZ has provided more than 24 scholarships to US students since the programme’s inception, selecting recipients on the basis of academic excellence, leadership skills and ambassadorial qualities.

In addition to the GSA Awards, ENZ and the US Department of State recently announced a new $100,000 partnership in support of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, which enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad.